“Go”
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 John 20:1-18
Dallas Willard…a professor at the University of Southern
California School of Philosophy…has written a book entitled Divine Conspiracy. It is billed as a “…guide to living the life
Jesus intends for us.”
Professor Willard starts with a most interesting story and
an observation to set the tone. He
wrote…”Recently a pilot was practicing high-speed maneuvers in a jet
fighter. She turned the controls for
what she thought was a steep ascent…and flew straight into the ground. She was unaware that she was flying upside
down.”
“This”…he wrote…”is a parable of human existence in our
times—not exactly that everyone is crashing, though there is enough of that—but
most of us as individuals, and world society as a whole, live at high-speed and
often with no clue to whether we are flying upside down or right-side up. Indeed we are haunted by a strong suspicion
that there may be no difference—or at least that it is unknown or irrelevant.”
That’s the way it was for the disciples…and Jesus’
followers…during the week we call Holy Week.
Jesus led them triumphantly into Jerusalem on Sunday…riding a donkey
colt…just as had been prophesied. But…on
Friday…just as the psalmist had prophesied a thousand years earlier…Jesus cried
out from the cross…”My God…My God…why have you forsaken me”…as the soldiers
cast lots for his garments. Later that
day Jesus was buried in a tomb…believed gone forever…and the disciples were
hiding in fear of the authorities.
The builders had rejected the stone.
Because of that, the disciples did not know whether they
were flying right-side up or upside down…just as Professor Willard described
people in our world today. Bearings out
of whack! Don’t know what to
believe! People in leadership
positions…or trying to be in leadership positions taking liberties with the
truth in order to achieve their goals.
John…the Gospel writer…at the end of the chapter we heard a
few minutes ago…wrote these words…”…these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in
his name.” In Mary Magdalene and John
himself…described as the disciple whom Jesus loved…we have strong proof of
belief. In their story we have strong
proof of the truth…a truth…that we might…as Mary did…go and tell others.
First…there was John…the disciple whom Jesus loved.
John is one of the most important figures in this story. He looks into the tomb, sees the evidence,
and believes. While not seeing the
resurrected Jesus, he sees what has been left behind; he sees the remnants of
divine activity in history in stone and fabric and decides to believe.
In his Gospel…John has provided us with the best evidence he can muster to persuade us
that belief is not only a reasonable choice, but a necessary decision if we are
going to follow Jesus. Jesus is not just
an idea. He is a person, God
incarnate…in the flesh…in human history, and in coming into history he has left
marks that we can see and measure and trust.
The resurrection is the capstone that demonstrates the reality of what
has happened since the moment of incarnation.
Though Mary was the first person to have seen the risen Christ….at first she could not
see Jesus because of her tears. She was
like the pilot…flying upside down and not realizing it. Her grief kept her from seeing the joy that
was being offered. How often do we let
our reactions to the events in our day get in the way of seeing the joy that
could be ours?
Also, she could not recognize Jesus because she had turned her back to him to look
into the tomb. She was looking in the
wrong direction. Do we find ourselves
and others doing the same? Do we turn in
the direction of clever politicians… business leaders…television heroes and
heroines …athletes…and others…to find comfort and direction…often the wrong
direction?
But…Jesus called…and Mary recognized him. She
probably attempted to throw her arms around him…as we would when we encounter
someone who we felt had been lost from our life. Jesus told her not to hang on to him. Jesus wanted Mary to understand that a deep
change was taking place in their relationship…and in his being. Jesus was going to leave them physically…but
would be with them through the Holy Spirit.
He asked Mary to go to the disciples and tell them the good news…that he
had arisen and that he was returning to them.
He was returning to create a new intimacy with them…a spiritual
intimacy…an intimacy that lives to this day…with you and with me.
Let us pause to note something quite significant here.
The resurrected Jesus first appeared to this woman…Mary Magdalene…not to
one of the apostles…not to someone significant in society. He appeared first to someone whom society had
oppressed…a woman who had sinned greatly.
Christ fulfilled his promise.
“Blessed are those who are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.” He brought that kingdom
directly to Mary. He’s call calling you
and me, too…to bring his ministry to us…to take it to others through us.
Mary was now piloting right-side-up. She ran
to tell the others what she had seen.
She had seen the Lord.
Let me share some of today’s reality and ask if we might apply lessons from Mary in order
to fly right side up in our world.
When I was ten years old a boy named Mikhail showed up in my classroom weeks after the
school year had begun. He was one of
three children of a couple who were refugees from war-torn Hungary. His dad had been a doctor in Hungary. His mom had been a teacher. All that they possessed when they arrived in
Syracuse, New York that fall was the clothes they were wearing. They didn’t even have a change of
clothing.
My classmates and I embraced Mikhail. His
family was embraced by a church. They
were supported and guided in making their transition. Mikhail’s dad eventually became a nurse in
one of the hospitals. His mom got work
as an elementary school teacher.
Mikhail grew to become the chief executive of a very large company…and from his
earnings he contributed generously to the church that had supported and guided
his family…and to the university that gave him an education. He died a couple years ago…leaving a significant
estate. His widow is well cared for…and
the university and church have received significant gifts.
The first church I attended when I moved to Greenville in 1981…Aldersgate United
Methodist Church…was in the process of adopting a family of refugees from
war-torn Viet Nam. This family of seven
had nothing when they arrived…other than the clothing the church had provided
them. The church provided them guidance
and support. This family of seven has
grown…two generations have been added…and they are contributing greatly to our
community.
Today millions of people are now refugees from war-torn Syria…escaping only with
their damaged lives and the clothing on their backs.
And…the leaders of our nation…a nation that was started by refugees trying to escape
the tyranny of a king…a nation often claiming a
Christian heritage…our leaders are saying we should only allow
ten-thousand of the millions to enter our country.
Let’s look at reality before we match today’s lesson with this travesty.
If ten-thousand refugees were distributed equally across the entire United
States…that would be a little more than three people added to each county in
our nation.
If ten-thousand refugees were distributed proportionately in just the top one
hundred metropolitan areas in our country that would mean 31 new residents of
Greenville County.
If all ten-thousand were re-located to Greenville County that would be a population
increase of just over one-point-five percent…near the average annual growth
rate of our county over the past decade.
It’s not about numbers, folks. It’s about
Xenophobia…and people playing off that terrible disease. Xenophobia is the big word that means fear
and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or
foreign. It’s a fear that has no reason
for existing…but it does…and some of our leaders and wannabe leaders…are
playing on that fear to further their cause.
Are we going to be like Mary that first Easter morning? Are we going to be so fearful that our eyes
tear up and we can’t see Jesus in these people?
Are we going to look in the wrong direction…toward the
noisy…fear-mongering leaders?
Or are we going to take the good news of Christ and his love to our upside-down
world? We have a significant ministry
opportunity here…just as Mary did.
You may ask if I’m suggesting we adopt one of these families. That’s a major undertaking…but a group of
churches and non-profit organizations in the Upstate are working to make that
happen.
Each of us can…and should…have a more immediate ministry impact. Instead of being fearful…let’s get to know a
refugee or someone who is different.
You’ll find in doing so that your eyes might fill with tears…but they’ll
be tears of joy as you hear the stories of the many obstacles these folks have
overcome and the stories of those who aided them along the way…who showed them
Christ…Christ inside them.
Instead of looking in the wrong direction…to those who play upon fears let us speak up
and tell them…and those who support them what we think Christ would do…the love
he would share…the support he would offer
We are among those they are asking to support them.
We are among those who influence those they are asking to support
them.
Professor Willard is right in saying that much of the world is without clear knowledge of
whether they are right-side-up or upside-down.
Because of this many will crash in some way. Despite being in that same condition the
disciples’ world was righted…because Mary had gone to them with the
message. She was in personal ministry
with them.
Ministry is not a passive activity. Ministry is
not just writing a check. Ministry is
the interaction of persons…each of us and someone else…just like the ministry
of Mary to the disciples.
Let us be like Mary…let us go…leave this sanctuary today…celebrating not just for ourselves…but,
as Mary did…joyously taking the same message to others we encounter.
Let us show how the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone
of our lives and our living.
To whom can we go to tell the good news… to
whom can we go to live the good news in ministry with them…to share the Christ
inside us?